Book kaddy



BOOK KADDY Filed Feb. 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. a auf f f I ff/MM5 ,Pfff/MM FET; l1, -ZL- J5 g *i12 J4' 40 Ar'rnRNEYs c. RETTINGER 2,771,705

BOOK KADDY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 27, 1956 Filed Feb. 2s, 1955 BOOK KADDY Charles Rettinger, Albuquerque, N. Mex. Application February 23, 1955, Serial No. 489,959

3 Claims. (Cl. 45--82) rIhis invention relates to stands particularly adapted for supporting books in positions to facilitate reading, such as by persons in reclining positions, and in particular, a stand having book retaining racks exibly connected to a support bar carried by an arm extended from a telescoping post, and wherein the post is supported and retained in `an upright position by a base which is yadapted to extend under a bed, davenport, or the like, at a side of which the post is positioned.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a book support for use by persons in reclining positions wherein use of the hands, except for turning pages of a book, is not required and wherein means is required for retaining the pages in position before and after turning to prevent pages being `accidentally turned by a draft or the like.

Various types of supporting devices have been provided for holding books in reading positions, particularly by patients in hospital beds, however, the book holding portions of supporting devices of this type are relatively cumbersome and it is dilicult to support such devices from a `single telescoping post. Furthermore, with book holding racks `and stands of conventional design, it is difficult to hold pages with 1a book open and, at the same time, permit the pages to be turned. With these thoughts in mind, this invention contemplates a telescoping post having an extended base with a goose-neck arm extended from the upper end and having a support bar thereon and means for exibly connecting book retaining racks to ends of the `support bar whereby page retaining clamps may be provided for holding pages with a book in the open position.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide adjustable supporting means for books and the like where in books may be suspended with a single arm from a post or the like and wherein the position of a book is readily adjustable to compensate for the position of a person desiring to read the book.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination of book retaining racks with a support bar on a stand for suspending a book over a bed or the like wherein as reading progresses so that the thickness of the book is transferred from one side to the other the supporting elements are accordingly adjusted.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means for retaining a book in an open position for reading by a person in an inclined position wherein pages of the book are held by spring actuated clamps yand wherein the clamps permit the pages to be readily turned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a book supporting stand that is adapted to be positioned at the side of a bed, fdavenport, or the like, with book lsupporting elements extended over the bed to facilitate reading by a person -in `an inclined position in the bed in which the device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention embodies a telescoping post having spaced arms extended from the lower end thereof, a support bar carried by a goose-neck extended from the upper end,

Sttes Patent book holding racks pivotally connected by links to ends of the 4support bar, friction clips adjustably mounted on upper ends of the racks for gripping the front and back of a book, and resilient page gripping clamps positioned on lower ends of the racks.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is lan elevational View showing one side of a stand with a book carried by an arm extended from the upper end of the stand in which the book is shown in an open position.

Figure 2 is :a plan View of the book retaining racks and support bar showing the positions of the parts with a greater portion of the pages of the book positioned against the back of the book.

Figure 3 is a plan View, similar to that shown in Figure 2, showing the positions of the parts with the greater number of the pages of the book positioned against the front of the book.

Figure 4 is a plan view, similar to that shown in Figures 2 and 3, showing the positions of the mounting elements with the book divided at the center wherein equal numbers of the pages are positioned against the front and back of the book.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan, taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the foot or base of the stand with parts broken away.

Figure 6 is a vertical section through one of the book supporting racks and one end of the support bar, taken on line 6 6 of Figure l, with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 7 is a cross section through one of the book retaining racks, taken on line 7 7 of Figure 8, also with the parts shown on lan enlarged scale.

Figure S is a front elevational View illustrating the book retaining racks and support bar and showing the device with the arm, upon which the support bar is mounted, broken away.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the support bar, arm, and book retaining racks with the parts in positions as illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an end elevational view of one of the book retaining racks, support bar, and book retaining clamps with the arm upon which the support bar is mounted shown in section.

Figure 11 is a vertical section through the connection between the support bar and arm extended from the stand, taken on line lll-l1 of Figure 9, with parts broken away and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure l2 is a vertical section through the lower end of the telescoping post showing the connection of the post to the base, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale and the section being taken on line 12-12 of Figure l with the upper part of the post and laterally disposed arms of the base broken away.

Figure 13 is a cross section, taken on line 13-13 of Figure 8, illustrating the connection of the end of an arm extended from the upper end of the telescoping post to a litting upon which the support bar is mounted, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the improved reading or book supporting stand of this invention includes a telescoping post having a lower tubular section 10 with a longitudinally disposed arm 11 having a U-shaped inner end 12 secured to the lower end thereof and laterally disposed arms 13 and 14 secured to the arm 11, an arm 1S having a goose-neck section 16 extended from the upper end of the post and providing supporting means for a support bar 17, book retaining racks 18 and 19 flexibly connected to ends of the support bar, the rack 18 being connected to the support bar with a link having flanges 20 and 21 and the rack 19 with a link having anges 22 and 23, a fitting 24 by which the support bar is mounted on the arm 15 with a king pin 25, sliding clamps 26 and 27 mounted to slide vertically on upper ends of the racks 18 and 19 and positioned to grip upper edges of the front and back of a book, and page retaining clamps 28 and 29, with resilient facing pads 30 on inner surfaces thereof and resiliently held by springs 31 in tubes 32 on the lower ends of the racks.

The lower end of the tubular post 10 is provided with a plug 33 through which a bolt 34 extends, as illustrated in Figure l2, and the lower end of the bolt is threaded through the arm 11 and through the bar from which the arms 13 and 14 extend. The end of the bolt also extends into a lug 35 secured to the under surfaces of the arms 13 and 14, such as by welding, and with the parts assembled, as shown in Figure l2, the tubular post 10 is positioned over the plug 33 and secured in position by a pin 36 which extends through the tubular post, plug, and bolt. The section 12 of the arm 11 extends upwardly and the upper end is provided with an extended portion 37 in which is an opening 33 through which the post 10 extends and the tubular post is clamped in position with a thumb screw 39 that is threaded in one side ot the section 37. The extended end of the arm 11 and also the ends of the arms 13 and 14 are provided with arcuate sections 40 that are positioned to engage the oor or surface upon which the stand is positioned.

The upper end of the tube 10 is provided with a collar 41 having a thumb screw 42 therein whereby a shank 43 extended from the goose-neck 16 of the arm 15 may be clamped in adjusted positions.

The extended end of the arm 15 is positioned in an opening 44 of the titting 24 and, as illustrated in Figure 13, the tubular arm 15 is provided with a slot 45 through which a thumb screw 46, which is threaded into a plug 47 in the end of the arm, is threaded. By this means the angle of the support bar 17 is readily adjustable to vary the angle of the reading surfaces of a book positioned on the stand. The opposite end of the iitting 24 is provided with a threaded opening 48 in which an extension bar 49 is threaded, the extension 49 being provided for supporting the rack on the opposite side of the center of the support bar, such as the rack 19 shown in Figure 8. It will be understood, however, that the arm 15 and the bar 49 may be removed and the fitting 24 turned through an angle of 180 degrees so that a book may be supportedV on the opposite side of the stand, the arm 15 and the bar 49 being adapted to be used with the itting 24 in the position shown or turned through an angle of 180 degrees. A Washer 50 is provided between the fitting 24 and the support bar 17 and the extended end of the king pin 25 is provided with a lock nut 51 with which the support bar may be retained in adjusted positions on the iitting.

The book retaining racks are suspended from the support bar 17, which is channel shaped in cross section, with the pivotally mounted links, particularly as illustrated in Figure 6, wherein the flanges 20 and 21, which are connected by a web 52, are pivotally mounted by a bolt 53 in anges of the support bar 17 and by a bolt 54 in anges of a bearing bracket 55 that is mounted, such as by welding, on the rack 18. By the same means, the llanges 22 and 23 are pivotally mounted by a bolt 56 in the support bar and by a bolt 57 in a bearing bracket 58 on the back ofthe rack 19.

With the book retaining racks flexibly supported in this manner, the racks are readily adjustable from the position illustrated in Figure 2 as reading of a book is started to the position illustrated in Figure 4 as reading of the book continues and to the position illustrated in Figure 3 as reading of the book progresses to the latter part thereof.

A book is retained in position on the racks of the stand by the sliding clamps 26 and 27 which extend from backing plates 59 and 60 that are slidably mounted on the racks 18 and 19 with lianges 61 and 62 extended from edges of the plate 59 and 63 and 64 extended from edges of the plate 6l), the flanges being positioned to extend around the racks 18 and 19 particularly as illustrated in Figure 7. The clamping portions 26 and 27 extend from upper ends ot the backing plates 59 and 60 and are connected to the plates with U-shaped portions or rolls 65 and 66, By this means the sliding clamps are readily adjusted to compensate for books of different sizes.

The page clamps 28 and 29, which are provided with resilient pads 30, are formed, as illustrated in Figure 6, with base sections 67 and 68 on the ends of which are flanges 69 and 70, respectively, through which threaded studs 71 on the ends of rods 72 extend. The studs are provided with nuts 73 and the ends of the springs 31 are secured to the rods 72, such as by welding, as shown at the point 74. The opposite ends of the springs 31 are secured, such as by clips 75, to the extended ends of the tubes 32, the tubes being secured to flanges 76 on the lower ends of the book retaining racks, such as by welding.

With the page clamps mounted in this manner, the clamps are readily drawn outwardly to facilitate turning pages of a book and, when released, resiliently grip the pages preventing the pages being turned by a draft or the like.

With the parts designed and assembled in this manner, the stand is adapted to be positioned at one side of a bed with the arm 11 of the base extended below the bed and with the arm 1S positioned at a suitable elevation so that a person in a reclining position may read from pages of a book supported on the racks 18 and 19. The pages of the book are retained in position by the page clamps so that it is not necessary to hold the book by hand. The hands of a patient are, therefore, free and the pages are readily turned by withdrawing and releasing the page clamps.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stand for supporting a book in a position for reading, the combination which comprises a telescoping post, a supporting base mounted on the lower end of the post for supporting the post in an upright position, a horizontally disposed arm having a vertically disposed shank positioned with the shank extended into the upper end of the post, means for clamping the shank of the horizontally disposed arm in adjusted positions in the post, a horizontally disposed support bar pivotally mounted on the horizontally disposed arm, vertically positioned plates having extended anges on lower ends thereof positioned adjacent the ends of the support bar, links pivotally mounted, at one of the ends thereof, in said support bar and pivotally connected, at opposite ends thereof, to said book retaining racks, book retaining clamps mounted to slide vertically on said book retaining racks and adapted to secure backs of books to said racks, page retaining clamps slidably mounted on the anges at the lower ends of the racks, tubes carried by lower ends of said racks and springs in the tubes positioned with one of the ends thereof connected to the tubes yand the other to said page retaining clamps whereby tension is applied to the clamps for retaining pages of a book positioned on the racks in extended positions.

2. In a book supporting stand, the combination which comprises a tubular post, a supporting base extended from the lower end of the post for retaining the post in an upright position, a shank having a horizontally disposed arm extended therefrom adjustably mounted in the upper end of the tubular post, a tting positioned on the end of the horizontally disposed arm, a king pin extended upwardly from said fitting, a support har pivotally mounted on said king pin, vertically disposed plates providing book supporting racks, links pivotally mounted in ends of the support bar and pivotally connected to said racks, clamps slidably mounted on said racks and positioned to extend over backs of a book positioned on the racks, page clamps slidably mounted on lower ends of the racks, and resilient means for urging the page clamps against pages of a book positioned on the racks.

3. In a book supporting stand, the combination which comprises a tubular post, a supporting base extended from the lower end of the post for retaining the post in an upright position, a shank having horizontally disposed arm extended therefrom adjustably mounted in the upper end of the tubular post, a tting positioned on an end of the horizontally disposed arm, a king pin extended upwardly from said Fitting, a support bar pivotally mounted on said king pin, `vertically disposed plates providing book supporting racks, links pivotally mounted in ends of the support bar and pivotally connected to said racks, clamps slidably mounted on said racks and positioned to extend over backs of a book positioned on the racks, page clamps slidably mounted on lower ends of the racks, and resilient means for urging the page clamps against pages of a book positioned on the racks, said fitting being adapted to be rotated through an angle of 180 degrees and said clamps for holding pages of a book positioned on the racks having friction gripping page engaging surfaces.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,829,288 May Oct. 27, 1931 1,957,165 Gingras May 1, 1934 1,974,012 Busby Sept. i8, 1934 2,627,694 Saecker Feb. 10, 1953 

